Float like a Butterfly, Sting like a Bee
by snakeslovepie
Summary: Dean Winchester, an ex-alcoholic mechanic with daddy issues, and Castiel Novak, a quiet bee-keeping schoolteacher with a complicated family life, have been best friends since they were kids. When complications arise, will they be able to get past their issues and admit to their feelings for each other? Slow build Destiel. Drugs & alcohol abuse, swearing, later sexual content.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: the title is a quote by Muhammad Ali. This is a slow-build story, so Destiel comes in later chapters. The first chapter serves almost as a prologue, back when they were kids. Rated M for drug and alcohol abuse, swearing, and sexual content in later chapters. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Supernatural, do you think I would be writing this?**

**Reviews are wonderful, especially criticism. Anything to make my writing better. Enjoy :)**

The two boys sat out on the lawn, the dark grass swishing lazily against their bare feet. The night was young, the moon barely peaking over the roof of the house before them. It was a wonderful late summer night, with fireflies glowing dimly, tiny yellow spotlights against the sea of moderate darkness. The ancient wind chime on the black porch clanged repeating melodies as the soft breeze picked up. The sky was clear, and the first few stars were beginning to come out.

One of the little elementary-aged boys sighed contentedly, and moved to put his arms behind his head, golden hair against dark grass. He was quite the adorable child, with delicate facial features and dopey emerald eyes. His plush lips were pulled into a natural smirk, making him look slightly mischievous even when he wasn't getting into trouble. Right now though, he was relaxed, bow legs lying out in front of him on the ground, facing up.

His friend parroted his movements, slightly smaller limbs stiffly maneuvering to newly position themselves identically. Innocent sapphire eyes looked back over, making sure he did it correctly. Blowing his dark hair out of his face, he frowned slightly, subconsciously squaring his jaw. Unlike the Green-Eyed Wonder beside him, this child didn't have the same air of confidence about him. But his eyes, however naïve, were also intelligent, and sparkled with curiosity.

"Hey Dean?" the smaller of the two asked in a light whisper.

"Mmm?" Dean asked, closing his eyes.

"Are we gonna get in trouble?"

"Naw, Cas, it'll be fine," Dean reassured his best friend in a light tone. They had no need to be loud, and talked just above a hushed whisper.

Castiel, trusting Dean, nodded. He didn't want to get in trouble with his parents, but if his best friend said it was okay, then it _must _be okay.

They sat in companionable silence, the fireflies venturing back over to where the boys were. One landed on the side of Cas's face, and crawled up the pale flesh to the tip of the nose. Castiel's mouth pulled up at the corners, but he didn't do anything to deter the bug from it's important mission.

Dean raised himself up on his right elbow, leaning towards Castiel. "What d'you wanna be when you grow up?"

"I dunno," he responded automatically. The insect took off from the bridge of his nose, flying away towards Dean's porch. "Wait, I wanna be a scientist. A biologist."

"Biologist, huh?" Dean mused, turning the idea around in his mind. His face broke out into a grin, as he said, "So you can study bees, right?"

Castiel blushed, and countered, "Bees are interesting. They act as a single unit, thinking only for the good of the hive." Worried about boring his friend, Castiel quickly turned the question around. "What d'_you _wanna do?"

"Me?" the elder Winchester brother thought aloud. "I guess it would be cool to work with my dad, y'know?"

Cas gave a noncommittal grunt in response.

"Oh c'mon, it's not all bad!" Dean said defensively. He began again, in a more thoughtful tone, "it's not just about shooting bad guys. You gotta solve the crime, and save the people. Dad's boss was telling me about it. 'You gotta figure out who you're dealing with, first. It's like a puzzle, you gotta solve it before you can do anything else."

"I wouldn't want to work with your father," Castiel said unsmiling. "He's scary."

"Yeah, well maybe I could be a detective instead. Solving crimes, catching killers, saving babes," they both giggled at the last comment.

"I can see it now," Dean continued, waving his hand through the air for dramatic effect. "Dean Winchester: Expert Detective, and his nerdy sidekick, Castiel Novak: Lame Scientist."

"Scientists are _not _lame!" his friend pouted.

"Oooh, a shooting star!" Dean cried, pointing towards the night sky.

"It's a plane, stupid."

"Yeah, well, I was just kidding. I know it was a plane."

Castiel smirked, but didn't press the issue further.

...

And here the two best friends sat again, fifteen years later. Dean Winchester and Castiel Novak, twenty-four and twenty-five respectfully, sprawled out on the grass, gazing up at the stars.

"Look, a comet! Or a shooting star!" Dean exclaimed, waving a cheese-covered hand up towards the starry expanse.

Cas groaned. "First of all, it's a satellite. Secondly, you just knocked over the bowl of chips."

"So? They're still edible!"

"That's disgusting."

"Suit yourself, you stiff." Dean grabbed a handful of chips from the ground, taking a few blades of grass with him, and stuffed them all into his mouth. He smirked over at his cringing friend, and turned back to watch the stars come out with his companion.


	2. Chapter 2

Dean sat at the little kitchen table, twirling his pocketknife in his hand. The house was in need of repair, with chipping paint and creaky floorboards, stained carpets and loose tiles. Money was tight though, and he couldn't yet afford to fix up the place. He had lived there since he was little, and had no plans of moving anytime soon.

It was a small house, the white paint faded and stained near the bottom. A porch swing moved slightly with the wind, the unkempt garden at the front overrun with weeds. A window at the front looked in on the living room, and another led to the kitchen.

Dean waited patiently. Sam had said he was bringing his girlfriend over today, to meet everybody. Bobby and Cas were in the living room, watching some Clint Eastwood movie.

He flipped the knife around, and on sudden impulse, stabbed it into the table. It sunk only about a third of an inch into it, and left Dean completely unsatisfied.

"Now, what has the table ever done to you?" A gravely voice questioned from the doorway.

Dean smirked, and quipped, "It looked at me funny."

"Yes, and stabbing it will certainly help." Dean could feel Castiel's inquisitive eyes boring into his head from the doorway, and kept his own gaze down.

"Sam'll be here soon," Dean supplied.

"How's he doing at school?"

"Head of his class, or so I hear." Dean couldn't keep the pride from his voice. He gripped the handle of the blade, and pulled it from the wood. He brandished it playfully at Cas, finally meeting his gaze. Dean frowned, suddenly remembering that he was angry with his friend.

At that moment, the door handle turned. Dean put the knife away as his giant of a brother entered the room.

"Hey guys!" Sam greeted them. A pretty brunette stepped out from behind him, and stood by his side. "This is Ruby."

Bobby entered, and beamed at the girl from behind his blue cap. "Nice 'ta meet'cha, Ruby." He stuck out his arm, which she shook. Her eyes flashed, and for a second, her smile looked menacing. But it was gone quickly, fading back to pleasant and welcoming.

"And this is Dean," Sam paused to point at Dean, who was glaring at Cas. "And this is Castiel," he motioned towards Cas, who was uncharacteristically smirking.

Dean scowled, causing Cas to only grin brighter. "Dumbass," he muttered.

"You'll forgive me."

Dean stood up, walking towards the stairs. "Yeah, right."

Castiel turned towards Sam's new girlfriend, and apologized for Dean. "Sorry, hold on one moment." He turned and followed his best friend up the stairs, and into his bedroom.

"So how long have they been dating?" Ruby asked, which earned her a mighty guffaw from the old mechanic. Sam shook his head, smiling.

"Oh, they aren't dating," Sam explained. "But they're definitely head-over-heels for each other."

"They don't know it yet, the little asses." Bobby added. "Dean is so pigheaded, and Cas is just oblivious."

Ruby smiled devilishly.

Up in Dean's bedroom, he turned on his slightly shorter friend. "Really?" he questioned.

"What?"

"Why'd you tell Gabe? Now he's gonna try and hook me up with one of his friends!" Dean groaned.

"Dean, I was just making conversation with my brother."

"About me! Now he's probably gonna set me up with some creep, like Balthazar!"

"Balthazar is not a creep. He's a little… eccentric, but he's my friend. Besides, Gabriel's matchmaking days are over."

"Oh yeah," Dean thought. "Remember what happened to Ash?"

Castiel grinned slightly. "Of course. That was unfortunate."

"Understatement of the year." Dean sighed. "We just kinda ditched Sam and Ruby, didn't we?"

"Yes."

"Dammit," Dean murmured. "And I was gonna try and make a good impression." They went back down the stairs, slightly bashful. Sam, Ruby, and Bobby had migrated to the living room, the movie forgotten.

"My apologies. Dean here was just being an idiot," Cas remarked, and to emphasize his point, he whacked the back of Dean's head.

"Ow! And it's your fault, actually!" Dean argued, smacking Castiel back.

Sam cleared his throat, and pointed towards the empty couch. "Are you done?"

Dean gritted his teeth, and unceremoniously plopped down on the plush seat. Cas sat down beside him, movements almost robotic.

"So, Ruby, right?" Dean asked. "How much did Sam have to pay you?"

Sam, unimpressed with his brother's antics, threw him a dirty look before turning back to his girlfriend.

...

Castiel sighed, and put his cell phone away. "Can I stay over tonight? Gabe has a girl over again, and neither of us want me to be there for that."

"Sure thing." Dean said, looking over to his brother. Sam was massaging his temples, a grimace evident on his handsome face.

Cas saw the worried look Dean wore, and went upstairs to give the brothers some privacy.

As soon as Castiel left, Dean asked, "It's a danger night, isn't it?"

Sam nodded, closing his eyes.

"Want me to make you something?"

"At eleven?" Sam grumbled.

"It usually helps, right? I'll make you a sandwich." Dean set about making the PB&J, using smooth peanut butter and Sam's favorite strawberry jelly. He had been making these for his little brother for as long as he could eat solid foods, and it soothed Dean's own nerves as much as Sam's.

"Eat up, buttercup." Dean placed the plate in front of Sam, who gratefully took it in hand and began eating it hungrily.

"You okay?" Dean asked, worried.

"Yeah, it helps some. I'll be fine," Sam said between mouthfuls. "Go up to bed."

"Alright, g'night Sammy." Dean rested his hand on his brother's shoulder for a moment, before going back up the stairs to his bedroom.

Cas was already in a pair of pajamas he always kept at the Winchester house, lying on Dean's bed. Thank god it was queen-sized, otherwise there'd be no room for both of the young men. There was an unused bed in John's room, but neither Winchester ever went near it.

Castiel politely averted his eyes as Dean changed into an old tee shirt and boxers, before slipping under the covers. Cas had been sleeping over at Dean's house since they started being friends, and they felt comfortable with the other's presence. Dean was sprawled out on the bed, arms almost in Castiel's face, while Cas laid perfectly straight with his hands beneath his pillow. They slept soundly, both enjoying the fact that they didn't have work tomorrow morning.

**A/N: this was a filler chapter, but things will get more interesting by the next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3

"Rise and shine, boys!" Ellen called from the doorway, flipping the lights on. In his sleep, Cas had migrated over to Dean's side of the bed, nearly pushing the poor man off. Dean didn't seem to notice, or mind, as his hands were tangled in Cas's soft brown locks.

Dean groaned, and groggily opened his eyes. "It's Sunday morning, Ellen. Let us sleep in."

Jo waltzed into the room, blonde hair swishing around her shoulders, and ripped the covers from the bed. Cold air hit the two, making both their eyes shoot open.

"Hey!" Cas complained. Dean flung his pillow at Jo, who easily dodged it.

"Get up, lazies! We brought pie!"

Those magic words seemed to do the trick for Dean. He sat up, and pushed himself off of the bed, Cas following.

"Put some pants on, first. Have some decency!" Jo joked.

"You came into my house, Harvelle. I can dress how I like!" The two women left the room, closing the door behind them.

"Dean."

"What?"

"I don't have a shirt to wear."

"Here. Wear this." Cas sighed as Dean tossed him an ACDC shirt. But really, it was better than nothing. So Castiel slipped it on, and pulled up his pants from the day previous.

They made their way downstairs, and the smell of home-baked apple pie met them in the kitchen. "Pie for breakfast?" Cas questioned, but Dean ignored it.

"Man, Ellen, you're the best!" He moved past a snickering Jo to the table, and grabbed himself a slice. "What's with the pie, anyhow?"

"I just felt like baking, is all." Ellen smiled warmly, which Sam returned. He ruffled his hair, and picked up a piece of the delicious pie.

Cas's phone went off, and he checked the text he was sent. "I've gotta go. I'll stop by later, if that's alright."

"Dude, you need a ride?"

"Dean, I live right around the corner. I'll be fine."

"Okay, whatever. See yah!" Dean waved. Cas nodded in his direction, before leaving the room and walking out the front door.

"So how's he been?" Ellen asked.

"He could be better, I guess." Dean said tiredly. "His family's giving him a lot of shit, which is kinda tough. But for the most part, he's doing good."

"Oh, that sucks," Jo added sympathetically.

"This pie is awesome, Ellen."

"Any time, Dean."

...

Dean always hated Mondays. Sam was at school, and wouldn't be back until later in the evening. Cas was teaching, and Charlie had gotten a job, so he didn't have much to look forward to after work. Right now, he was working on fixing the break line of an ancient pickup truck. The hot summer air did little to lighten his spirits as he wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead. His radio had just died, so Dean was humming to himself when a man walked up.

"Are you Dean Winchester?" Dean looked up, and saw the guy standing in front of him. He was well-built, and his stance suggested that of a soldier. He stared at the young mechanic with dark, calculating eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, Dean could see Bobby sit a wrench down and slowly make his way over to them.

"Who wants to know?" Dean challenged, standing up. He was taller than the man, but this didn't seem to deter him in any way. Dean wasn't sure if he owed him money, or slept with his girlfriend, or what. But he doubted he was here for a good reason.

"I'm Caleb. I'm an old friend of John Winchester's."

_Oh. _Dean vaguely remembers his dad mentioning Caleb before. He relaxed slightly, and said, "Yes, I'm Dean. John was my father."

"I know. I am sorry for your loss. I only found out a few days ago."

At the mention of his father, Dean shifted. The mental walls he so carefully constructed slammed back down, and he worked to turn off his emotions. He had so much practice with it, it took little effort at all. "Do you want to look around his room? I kept everything the same." Cold eyes looked to Bobby, who nodded his head in consent.

"That would be perfect."

"The house isn't too far. I'll drive over and show you." The two men got into their respective cars, and Dean led Caleb to his house. He parked in the driveway, and opened the door for the ex-marine. "Up the stairs, last door at the end of the hallway. Take your time."

Caleb nodded, and went up the stairs. Dean collapsed in the ratty armchair in the front room, and let out a breath of air he didn't know he was holding. He put his head in his hands, and closed his weary eyes. It had been a long time since anything involving what happened to his father came up. He died over three years ago, and Dean preferred not to think about it. But here Caleb was, not realizing that he was reopening old wounds.

Dean is the king of inner monologues. He can internally berate himself for hours on end, without need of outside stimulus. And so while Caleb was upstairs, he began to think.

_You're so stupid, Winchester. What the hell do you think you're doing? Letting this stranger into your house like this. All it's going to do is bring up bad memories, and what will you be left with then? _

Dean rubbed his brow, mentally screaming at himself.

_Do you think he knows? I bet he does. Just remember how he looked at you before. So judgmental, it was probably all he could do to keep from shouting at you. They all know. It's written across your face, asswipe. _

"Nope, not gonna go there," Dean told himself.

_He knows what you are._

"Nope."

_Murderer._

"Excuse me?" Dean was pulled from his thoughts by the man. Looking up, he saw that he was holding a picture frame in his hands. "You don't mind if I take this, do you?"

"Oh, go right ahead. I'll show you out." Dean cleared his face of any expression, and stood up to open the door. "If there was anything else you wanted…?"

"I'm good, thanks. Thank you for letting me take this," Caleb held up the picture. "Again, I am sorry. John was a good man."

"Yeah. Yeah he was." Dean closed the door behind him, and leaned against it.

Pulling out his cell phone, Dean dialed Bobby's number and waited for his surrogate father to pick up.

"Dean?"

"Yeah, it's me. Want me to come back over?"

"You can be done for the day. How you doin', anyway?"

"I'm just fine, Bobby."

"Boy, 'fine' is Winchester-talk for 'anything-but-fine'."

"No, it's cool. I'm really okay."

"Alright, ya idjit. Now get off the phone before I change my mind."

"Thanks, Bobby."

Dean put his phone away, and made his way up the stairs. For the first time in three years, the door to his father's room was slightly adjar. Not open far enough to see inside, but it was still a disturbance in Dean's mind. Like the lid to Pandora's Box, it let out all the bad stuff Dean had bottled up.

What he really needed, right then, was a beer. _Just one, _Dean thought. _I'll have one, and be done._

...

Sam stepped out of his friend's car, and walked up the pavement to his house. Opening the door, he heard the TV in the background, playing what sounded like Dr. Sexy, MD.

Dean appeared around the corner, smiling at Sam. He looked all wrong, eyes dark and a fake smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Dean, what's wrong?" Sam inquired, dropping his bags on the table.

"Nothing. A guy came by today."

"A guy?"

"Yeah. A guy. He was a friend of dad's."

"Oh."

"He just looked through his stuff s'all. Took a picture of him and dad with him."

"Oh." Sam didn't know what to think. After the funeral, no one else really stopped by for dad.

He walked over to the fridge. Sam pulled it open, and froze. "DEAN! GET THE HELL IN HERE!"

He could hear Dean sigh from the living room. Dean shuffled into the kitchen, and stopped next to Sam.

"What the fuck is this?" Sam angrily pointed to the six pack in the fridge.

"I had one beer, Sam. Just one. The other five are still in the damn case!"

"We agreed!"

"I was doing good! I thought I deserved one drink!"

Sam groaned into his palm as he massaged his temples. "Dean, come on. Really?"

"Sammy, it's been two years. I'm good. Trust me," Dean pleaded. He looked into his brother's hazel eyes, gripping him by the shoulders. "I'm not drunk. I had one drink, a few hours ago, and I only had one."

"Don't pull this kind of crap with me again. Be sure to tell me next time, jerk."

"Fine, bitch."

It really wasn't fine, but Sam trusted Dean. If he said he had only one to drink, he believed him. And, Sam mused, Dean really must be good, seeing as how he had the one beer hours earlier, with a large window of time to down five more. Not that Sam would put up with this kind of crap, but whatever.

Later, when he went upstairs to his bedroom, he paused in the hallway. The door to his father's room was cracked open, the light turned on.

Sam slowly walked over to the door, pushing it open. His room hadn't been disturbed since the old man died. His covers were still folded and tucked in neatly, like the way a soldier would keep it. Boots were placed in front of the bed, shoelaces on the inside. A shotgun sat on the bed, a few cartridges out next to it. The curtains were closed, and part of the wall was dedicated to the case their dad had been working on before he died. Newspaper clippings were connected by string, all centered around the blurry image of a frowning man. The rest of the room was fairly tidy, covered with a layer of dust. The dresser next to his bed, however, had a clean rectangular patch of dust missing, as that was probably where the picture the man took was.

Sam grimaced, swamped with memories from that night. He flicked the light off, and closed the door.


	4. Chapter 4

Dean walked up the pavement to the school, his visitor's pass reflecting the late May sun. Wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead, he pushed open the little gate and was about to open the door, but stopped.

"Look closely, but be careful. They do have stingers," Cas's deep voice said over the horde of kindergarteners by his side. His dark locks swished in front of his sparkling eyes as he bent over and pointed to a patch of wildflowers by the wooden fence. The children all looked over to where he was pointing, and studied the bees flying lazily from flower to flower.

"Ms. Novak?" a girl with pigtails at the back asked. Cas had long stopped correcting her on his name, and nodded at her.

"Yes, Mabel?"

"Why are we learing 'bout gross bugs?"

Castiel scoffed, and stood up. "Bees are hardly 'gross bugs', Mabel. You like flowers, I assume?"

She nodded her head cheerily, blonde hair flopping at her shoulders. "Yup!"

"All the flowers would die if we didn't have bees. Bees are important."

"Mr. Castiel, it's your boyfriend!" a chubby boy shouted, pointing to Dean.

"Mr. Castiel and his boyfriend, sittin' in a tree! K. I. S. S. I. N. G!"

Cas frowned deeply, clearly on his last nerve with his students. This happened every time Dean came to pick Cas up, and it stopped being cute awhile ago. "Be quiet!"

"I don't like the bugs!" another boy whined. He bat at the mosquitoes flying around his elbow.

Groaning, Castiel sent Dean a pleading look. "We have two minutes left. Go inside and get your things together." He led the students in through the front door, and sent his friend a meaningful glance.

Dean sighed, leaning against the miniature fence. Besides the heat, it really was a lovely day. The small gated yard he was in now held a single oak tree, right up against the brick wall of the elementary school. The sunlight shone through the vibrant leaves, leaving patchworks of scattered light on the dirt underneath. Little potholders with names written in thick sharpie on the side stood guard on either side of the Emergency Exit door, tiny green shoots peaking out from under the damp soil. A couple bees and a single brown butterfly flew among the yellow and white flowers, not bothered by the humid air. The grass rubbed against Dean's denim pants, and he took the time to enjoy the brief moment of respite warranted to him.

And then, with the outpour of kids bursting past the entrance, it was gone. Dean waited until most of the students had gone, before wandering into the shady building. He was hit with a sudden wave of deliciously cool air conditioning, and spots swam across his field of vision until he grew accustomed to the change in lighting. He wandered the halls until he came to the room of 'Mr. Novak'.

"Hey," Dean said casually, walking up to Cas's desk. Castiel's room was full of finger-paintings, chewed toys, and frayed books. A large calendar took up about half of one wall, a smiling sun looking down from one corner, 'May' written in lavender bubble letters adjacent to it. It was all a bit too cheery for Dean's taste, but then again, these were innocent five-year-olds.

"Sorry, I should have called you." Cas shuffled a few papers in his hands and rubbed his creased forehead. "I have to grade these papers from the kids I tutor."

"Want some help?"

Castiel looked up at him, and everything seemed to fall into place for Dean. _Oh, _Dean thought. It was just something about the way Cas's sapphire eyes sparkled hopefully up at Dean that made him realize. His jaw dropped open, and he stared at his lifelong best friend. _Oh no,_ Dean thought. _Not him._

"Dean?" Cas asked, pulling him from his thoughts. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, um, no-nothing!" Dean tried not to blush as he pulled up a tiny chair and sat across from Castiel. He cleared his throat, and in his most affirmative voice, asked, "Now what do you want me to grade?"

Cas stared at Dean for an uncomfortable amount of time, his calculating eyes sizing him up. Eventually, he said in his normal deep tone, "These are just tests on simple division. You wouldn't need an answer key to grade these."

The two men graded the papers in silence, and with the work divided, they finished in about twenty minutes. Afterwards, Cas sighed in relief, and turned to Dean. "Thank you _so _much for that. I owe you one."

Dean didn't really hear what Castiel was saying. He watched the way his chapped lips formed each syllable, how the corners of his mouth raised in a faint smile.

"Dean, are you sure you are alright?"

"Huh?" Dean stopped next to the Impala, not even realizing they had been walking to the parking lot. "Oh yeah, I'm just peachy."

Cas looked at him questioningly, but did not say more on the subject. The teacher opened up the passenger door, and sat down on the smooth leather seat. Dean followed, and started the engine.

The drive was quiet, as each man was absorbed in his own thoughts. _Dammit_, Dean thought. _Why'd it have to be him?_

The memory of the argument he had with his father the night of the Incident flooded his mind, making the older Winchester inwardly cringe.

_You ruin everything you touch. You know that, right?_

Dean massaged his brow, trying to drive away the increasingly negative thoughts.

_You can't have him. Cas is innocent. You try anything with him, and you'll just end up hurting him. Like everyone else you love._

"Shut up," Dean mumbled under his breath.

_Like how you hurt Mom. You hurt Dad, and you hurt Sammy._

"That wasn't my fault."

_Yes it was, and you know it. You're such a destructive person, you made your brother turn to fucking drugs. What d'you think Cas will do?_

"Dean!"

Dean looked up, and jerked the wheel to the left, burning rubber as he turned into Castiel's driveway. He slumped in his seat, and ran a hand through his hair.

Castiel's younger sister, Anna, frowned at Dean from the window. Cas stared at Dean, before placing his hand on Dean's shoulder. "You can tell me anything. You know that, right?"

_Oh god he knows, he knows._

Dean held his meaningful gaze for what seemed like forever to him, until Castiel got out of the car.

"I will see you tomorrow, Dean."

"Yeah… sure thing."

Dean watched the Novak brother walk into his house, and thought, _Sorry Cas, but there are some things that I really can't tell you._

**A/N: This was a much shorter chapter, so sorry about that. Right now, I'm debating between dividing the next chapter into two parts, or just shortening it, because I really need to move this along. Anyways, reviews keep me going! Anything to help me improve my writing is welcome :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Like most Saturdays, the Winchester brothers were hanging out with Castiel and Gabriel at the house the two of them shared. It was a beautiful afternoon, with light streaming in through the large window that took up most of one wall in the kitchen. Gabriel whistled cheerily as he chopped up celery and dumped it into the large cast-iron pot sitting on the stove. Dean, Cas, and Sam leaned against the counter, Sam and Dean arguing about Lord of the Rings.

"Dude, the Battle of Helm's Deep is _definitely _the most epic," Dean said.

"It's pretty cool, but it's no contest to the Battle of Minas Tirith!"

"Sammy, have you _seen_ 'The Two Towers'?"

"Of course I have! And don't call me Sammy!"

"Tell him, Cas!" Dean turned to Castiel, who had remained quiet during most of the conversation. "Tell Sam that Helm's Deep is the most epic!"

"Dean, you know that I haven't seen these movies."

"Shit, I forgot. Tell you what; we can have a big Lord of the Rings marathon next weekend!"

Cas graced them with one of his rare smiles, and said, "I'd like that."

"Alright you nerds, look out!" Gabriel poured a glass of water into the pot, making its contents sizzle loudly and steam filled the spacious kitchen.

After most of the vapor went away, Cas walked over to the back door. "I'm gonna go and tend to the bees."

"I'll come," the younger Winchester volunteered. Both of them stepped outside, walking towards the shed to get the suits. Dean sat his glass down, and made towards the door, before he was stopped by Gabriel.

"Hold on a sec, Dean-o," he said, grabbing the mechanic by his elbow.

"What is it, Gabe?" Dean turned, not sure what to expect. Gabriel was definitely a trickster, and Dean had been the victim of some of his worst pranks. But right now, Gabriel didn't seem to be joking.

"You and my brother have been eyeing each other up for a few years now. It's pretty obvious."

"What? I have no idea what you're talking about." Dean glared at the glass of water on the table. What he'd give to have a beer right now.

Gabriel threw his hands into the air. "This is what I'm talking about! You've both got the hots for each other, but are too pigheaded to see it or admit it!"

Dean blushed, and ran a hand through his hair. Gabriel took out a lollipop, and tossed the wrapper behind him. He stuck it in his mouth, golden eyes staring at the taller man.

"You need to make a move soon, Winchester."

"Whatever." Dean grumbled. To Dean, the only thing more embarrassing than loving your best friend, a _man_ at that, was getting relationship advice from his brother.

"Alright, fine." Gabe began. "When you feel like admitting it, come talk to me. But you gotta realize, Cassie won't wait forever."

The sharp retort Dean had prepared got caught in his throat. Gabriel was right. His brother had better things to do than wait around for a sissy like Dean to admit his feelings.

Suddenly, the front door opened, and Anna, Samandriel, and Inias walked in. "Dean!" Samandriel said, smiling brightly. The teenager clapped Dean on the back, and turned to his slightly older brother, Inias. "See? It won't be boring!"

Dean had no idea what they were talking about, and so instead turned to Anna. "Nice to see you, Anna. It's been awhile,"

Sometimes it was easy to forget how large the Novak family was. Samandriel was the youngest, at sixteen years old. Then came Inias, both of them still in high school. Anna was waiting to get into college, while their adopted brother, Uriel, was in his junior year. Castiel was twenty-five, and taught kindergarten and tutored. Gabriel was about three years older than Cas, and taught at the high school the youngest attended. Raphael, the other adopted son, was attending grad school to become a doctor. Luther and Michael were the oldest, both lawyers. And their parents, Zachariah and Naomi, were on an extended trip in Europe. While they were away, Anna was left to take care of Samandriel and Inias.

"Will you be at the Roadhouse tonight?" Dean asked Anna.

"Er, I've got a lot of stuff to do. Maybe next weekend?" Anna suggested.

"Sure thing. We're there almost every Saturday," Dean promised.

Castiel and Sam came back into the house, Cas still wearing his veiled hood.

"Man, you look like such a loser in that get-up!" Inias taunted.

"What happened to respecting your elders?" Castiel wondered, shaking his head.

...

"So Sam, where's Ruby?" Jo asked Sam, who was leaning against the counter.

"She's with some of her other friends. They had plans."

"Man, there's just something about her that I don't like."

Dean ignored the conversation, and looked around. Most of their friends were there, including Ash, Pam, Bobby, Charlie, Kevin, Gabe, and Cas. Ellen was back in the kitchen, talking on the phone.

Dean swerved around a couple of strangers, and met up with Charlie, Gabriel, and Castiel. "How's the new job, Charlie?"

Her fiery hair whipped around as she faced her surrogate brother, and smiled. "Oh, it's great! I'm actually _paid_ to hack into things!"

"Oh Charlie, I've got your jacket in the car. Want me to grab it?"

"Yes please!"

"And I want to talk to you when I get back, Cas." Dean mumbled, turning around. Gabriel gave the older Winchester a knowing glance as he scurried out of the diner.

Dean stopped by the Impala, and took a steadying breath. _Alright, you can do this. Winchesters aren't sissies, _Dean thought, his dad's voice clear in his head. He unlocked the back seat, and grabbed Charlie's windbreaker. He leaned against the roof, collecting his thoughts. _How hard can it be? Just get him alone, and tell him. No problemo._

Confidence raised, he wandered back into the Roadhouse. But the second he entered, he knew something was off.

Charlie darted in front of him, and quickly said, "I think it's time to go now, Dean."

"I don't understand," he replied, grabbing his water from the counter. Sam had a worried look on his face, and he stood next to Charlie, trying to push Dean out the door.

"Dean, I think you should leave." Dean's brows furrowed, and he looked around his enormous brother to try and figure out what was happening.

He didn't have to look far. Off in the corner of the room, Meg Masters had Cas up against the wall. And they were kissing.

Time slowed down for Dean. Johnny Cash was playing in the background, but he didn't seem to hear it. All that mattered was Castiel. Even though it wasn't justified, Dean felt a huge sense of betrayal from his best friend. He heard his glass shattering before he realized he dropped it.

Everyone was looking at Dean, even Cas. Realizing this, the mechanic quickly wiped his face of any emotion, but the damage was already done.

"Dean, I-" Castiel began.

"I think I'm gonna go," Dean said to no one in particular. He started for the door, Ellen and Bobby looking at him concerned.

"Dean!" That was definitely Sam.

The older Winchester ignored his brother, and continued for the car. He got inside his baby, and just sat there for a minute. No one went outside after him.

"You're so fucking stupid!" Dean yelled at himself. "How could you expect him to like you back? You break every damn thing you touch!"

He slammed his fists onto the steering wheel, and stared out onto the dark expanse of highway before him. What he really needed, he decided, was a drink.

**A/N: Thanks for sticking with me up to here! This chapter was a little bit rushed, so apologies! Firstly, I don't own the Lord of the Rings or whatever. I also realized that, even though Castiel's parents are kinda messed up, they probably wouldn't name their son Lucifer. And so instead, his name is Luther. Reviews are adored, whether it's praise or flame. Anything to help me improve my writing :)**


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